Introduction

Welcome to Awaken Arts

The unconscious communicates using a universal language of images to reveal and enlighten.

Most images that appear on my site are related to a series of visual or concrete poems that I created several years ago. I recognized a lot later that the poems were more than words shaped into images; they were symbols and archetypes (images and emotion). Understanding the process that happens “behind the scenes,” a process that raises awareness of what otherwise would remain hidden in the unconscious, is my field of study and my passion. There are many disciplines connected to this study, such as depth psychology, spirituality, language, and art. The visual poems are like dream images in the way they manifest, and they are referred to by authorities such as C. G. Jung as “fantasy-images.”

According to James Hillman, “Because fantasy-images provide the basis of consciousness, we turn to them for basic understanding.”

There is an art and a science to transformation; an awakening journey is recognizable, understandable, and universal. There is a picture language, a dream language, of symbols, metaphors, and archetypes. Awakening is a process; unconscious content is communicated to the conscious mind through dreams and images.

“Dreams speak to us through symbols. All over the world, and all throughout history, people have always been dreaming. There are of course many different languages, but in the dream we have a universal language that ‘thinks’ and expresses itself through symbols. This archaic language transcends all conscious verbal language barriers.”Dreams, God’s Forgotten Language, John A. Sanford

Just think of the settings, structures, and characters we have encountered in our favorite stories. The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland speak to us about the mysterious process of self-discovery, the same untiring process is repeated throughout our favorite myths, fairy tales, stories, and true life adventures. We are characters in the throes of our individual circumstances and experiences, yet our scripts are remarkably similar. Think of the wonderful heroes we encounter in movies and books. The same characters and situations show up repeatedly, universally; we find the same dark villain, for instance, depicted in many ways, in many different disguises. We see masks, cloaks, shadows, and evil: Darth Vader, The Headless Horseman, and Iago, find form in many ways; this happens unconsciously for the most part. We experience a process when we give shape to inner life, bringing what is inside into a context outside of ourselves. Instinctively, we assist the process: we define ourselves through art, literature, and music, for instance. We establish a connection between inner and outer substance. Surroundings such as nature, family and friends, jobs, houses, cars, clothes, and jewelry often define us. We find meaning in tattoos and body art. We shape our lives and the lives of our children.

Oftentimes, we project ourselves onto things and people in our lives, seeing in them some sample of what is within us. Unconsciously, we lose ourselves in our projections, so it is healing to recognize and withdraw our projections. The cards make use of images—symbols—reproduced from visual poems that accompanied my process. The creative process was in itself a healing process; the products belong to the involuntary or unconscious process that brought me to greater awareness. Jung refers to it as, The Process of Individuation.

Archetypes Enlighten

Archetypes serve a purpose; they guide through enlightenment. If we aren’t aware of archetypal influences, it is easy to be mislead by such energies. There is much to discover about archetypes and the process of awakening. Welcome to AwakenArts.